Spring-pressed pawl for rotating revolver cylinder



W. B. RUGER Sept. 17, 1957 SPRING-PRESSED PAWL'. FOR ROTATING lREVOLVER CYLINDER Filed Jan. 30, 1956 FIG.4

lNvEN-roR William B. lRuger BY Ema. www/umano@ ATTORNEYS United Sttes Patent O SPRING-PRESSED PAWL FOR ROTATING REVLVER CYLINDER William B. Ruger, Westport, Conn., assigner to Strunz, Ruger and Company, Southport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application January 30, 1956, Serial No. 562,305

2 Claims. (Cl. l2- 59) This invention relates to firearms, and has for its object the provision of certain improvements in revolvers. Revolvers of well known and common construction have certain characteristic elements including a frame, a cylinder having ratchet teeth rotatably mounted in the frame and rotated in increments by a pawl which is operatively connected to the hammer, spring means which hold the pawl in contact with the ratchet teeth, and a frame for the grip. My invention is particularly concerned with improvements in the spring means for holding the pawl which operates lthe cylinder, and provides an im proved spring means for holding the pawl in engagement with the ratchet of the cylinder.

In accordance with my invention, I bore a hole in the cylinder frame, preferably in the plane of movement of the pawl, and insert in the hole a plunger which bears against the pawl, and a coil spring -that engages the plunger Vand presses it against the pawl. In a preferred embodiment of my invention, I locate the hole in such manner that the grip frame of the revolver overlies the hole and serves as a base or stop for the coil spring.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation, with parts in section, of a revolver embodying my invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views of the revolver of Fig. 1 with the hammer in dilerent positions, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional View at 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The improved revolver illustrated in the drawings comprises a grip frame 1 connected by screw 2, and other screws not shown, to the cylinder frame 3. The cylinder 4 of conventional construction is rotatably mounted in the frame 3 on the shaft or pin 5 which is removably attached to the frame 3 by the spring catch 6. The cylinder has the usual ratchet teeth 7 by means of which it is turned from tiring position -to firing position by the pawl 8 which is pivotally connected to the hammer 9 by the pin 10. Since the invention, in the embodiment illustrated, pertains to single-action re volvers, the hammer 9 is cocked by hand and the cylinder is turned by the pawl only while the hammer is being cocked. The hammer 9 is pivotally connected to the cylinder frame 3 by the screw 12 and can swing from the tiring position of Fig. 1 to the safe position (not shown), to the intermediate position of Fig. 2, at which position the cylinder is freely rotatable for loading and unloading, and to the fully cocked position shown in Fig. 3. The details of operating the hammer, cylinder latch and related elements, are shown more fully in my co-pending application Serial No. 370,732, filed July 28, 1953, now Patent No. 2,733,529, issued February 7, 1956.

The frame 3 is cut out, or otherwise left open internally to receive the flat pawl 8 which is connected by the pin 10 to the hammer 9. In the plane of movement of the pawl, a hole 13 is bored through the frame 3 in which are inserted a coil spring 14 and a plunger 15 which bear against the pawl. It will be noted that the grip frame has an upright at surface 16 which engages a flat surface 17 of the cylinder frame 3. The hole 13 is, accordingly, closed by the grip frame which serves as a stop or base for the spring 14 whereby it can press the plunger against the pawl.

The coil spring and plunger of my invention provide a positive and relatively inexpensive means for holding the pawl in contact with the ratchet teeth of the cylinder. The particular location of the hole 13 and the use of the grip frame as a stop for the spring simplify the construction and assembly of the revolver. The coil spring is much less subject to breakage than the usual at spring used in guns of this type.

I claim:

1. The improvement in revolvers having a frame, a cylinder having ratchet teeth thereon rotatably mounted in the frame, a hammer pivotally mounted in the frame, a pawl mounted in the frame which engages the teeth on the cylinder, said pawl being pivotally connected to the hammer and operated by movement of the hammer, said frame having a hole therein, a plunger in the hole which bears against the pawl, and a coil spring in the hole which presses the plunger against the pawl to hold the pawl against the ratchet teeth.

2. The improvement in revolvers having a frame, a cylinder having ratchet teeth thereon rotatably mounted in the frame, a hammer pivotally mounted in the frame, a pawl mounted in the frame which engages the teeth on the cylinder, said pawl being pivotally connected to the hammer and operated by movement of the hammer, said frame having a hole therein, a plunger in the hole which bears against the pawl, spring means in the hole which holds the pawl in contact with the ratchet teeth, a grip frame attached to said frame having a surface which closes one end of said hole and against which the spring means makes contact.

No references used. 

